In this conversational YouTube video, hosts Sharon and Taryn introduce keloids as firm, raised, benign scars that affect roughly 10% of people. They explain that keloids can develop weeks or months after skin injuries such as burns, piercings, tattoos, surgical wounds, acne, chickenpox, insect bites, or vaccinations, and may even arise spontaneously in individuals with a family history. The speakers highlight demographic risk factors—people of African, Asian, or Hispanic descent, those with a family history, and ages 10‑30—while noting typical locations (chest, shoulders, back, ears). They describe the biological basis: fibroblasts continue proliferating after wound closure, causing scar tissue to extend beyond the original injury. Keloids are contrasted with hypertrophic scars, which stay within wound borders and may regress over time. Early dermatologic evaluation is advised because larger keloids are harder to treat. Treatment options discussed include pressure dressings, silicone sheets or gel, monthly steroid injections, and pulsed‑dye laser therapy, each with practical considerations. Prevention is emphasized as the best strategy, recommending avoidance of unnecessary skin trauma. The video concludes with a reminder to consult a dermatologist if a keloid becomes uncomfortable, itchy, or painful.
Chapters
Hello, my name is Sharon.
My name is Taryn, and today we'll be talking about keloids.
If you've ever had burns, piercings, tattoos, surgical wounds, or any other kind of skin injury, you may have also had keloids.
Keloids are firm, raised scars that occur at the sites of these injuries. They can arise soon after or even months later. Keloids occur in about 10% of people.
Keloids are benign, and they do not change into skin cancer. However, you may want to see a dermatologist if your keloid feels uncomfortable or irritated. They can be itchy, painful, or sore.
Keloids look like raised, smooth lumps that grow slowly over time. They most commonly occur on the chest, shoulders, back, and ears.
Some people are more prone to developing keloids, particularly people of African, Asian, or Hispanic descent. People with a family history of keloids, and people between 10 and 30 years of age.
Most keloids happen after people injure their skin as a result of the body's healing process not stopping. Normally, both skin cells and connective tissue cells called fibroblasts multiply to repair the damage.
Keloids develop when the fibroblasts continue to multiply even after the wound is filled in. This is why keloids are raised above the surface of skin and grow beyond borders of the injured skin into nearby normal skin.
As mentioned earlier, burns, piercings, tattoos, and surgical scars such as from C-sections can lead to the keloids. Some people get keloids when serious acne clears or chickenpox fade. It's also possible to get keloids after shaving, getting an insect bite, or getting vaccinated.
However, some keloids can also arise spontaneously on normal skin for reasons not yet known. These usually develop in people who if you have a family history of keloids.
Note that keloids are different from hypertrophic scars. Hypertrophic scars occur when a wound's healing area is thicker than usual due to tension. They are limited to the original wound, unlike keloids that extend beyond the borders of the wound. Hypertrophic scars can go away in time, but keloids persist.
Early treatment for keloids is important because larger keloids are harder to treat. Again, please visit a dermatologist if your keloid feels uncomfortable or irritated, and do so sooner rather than later.
There are multiple treatment options to flatten or remove keloids. For newer keloids, pressure dressings and/or silicone sheets or gel can be applied. However, this method may be uncomfortable as the dressings need to be worn for 12 to 24 hours per day for 4 to 6 months.
Another option One option is several monthly steroid injections into a keloid to shrink it and decrease pain and itch. If steroid injections don't work, pulsed dye laser treatment can also be considered.
The best treatment is prevention, especially if you're prone to developing keloids. Avoid unnecessary skin injuries such as piercings or tattoos.
